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Is work bad for your back? The Office for National Statistics has released new figures which show that almost 31 million days of work were lost last year due to back, neck and muscular complaints. The Labour Force Survey found that musculoskeletal conditions were the cause of more absences than any other problem.
In a survey carried out by the British Chiropractic Association last year, 35% of workers attributed their back and neck problems to sitting for long periods.
Whether in meetings with colleagues or at their computers. Unfortunately there has been a move from manual based jobs to office based work. This has led to us sitting longer, and this does not include those of us that drive to work, which involves additional sitting. Couple this with a lack of physical exercise, this has a huge impact on the body and sure enough this is perhaps why so many people are seeking the help of chiropractor.
So what can we do to stop back pain at work? Here at Shrewsbury Chiropractic Clinic we have some top tips to help prevent these aches and pains:
- Make sure your office chair is adjusted to the right height for YOU, particularly if you share a desk.
- When you are seated make sure both feet are planted on the floor, and make sure your hips are higher than your knees, so your thighs slope downwards. Your eyes should be just about two thirds of the way up the computer screen.
- Your arms should be flat with your elbows level to your desk.
- Make sure you have enough room for your legs to move freely under the desk.
- Try not to sit for prolonged periods. Forty minutes at your workstation and you should get up and move about. Take a walk or stretch out.
- If you are using a laptop, it is best to place it on a stand (or something like a ream of paper). Plug a mouse and keyboard into the laptop, so the screen is at eye level. You are less likely to suffer form back or neck pain, as this set-up is more back friendly.
I do hope you find this blog informative and it makes you less likely to have a bad back at work. Take a look at this short video from the British Chiropractic Association,which gives advice on correct poture: